Gifts of the Season

Gifts of the Season

As the hustle and bustle of the season continues and our shopping and ‘to do’ lists grow long, our spirits can become overwhelmed and weary. We stretch to afford things we can’t and we stress to get it all done on time. We show up frazzled and edgy with less sleep and greater agitation at the holiday traffic. We sometimes dread holiday gatherings as just one more thing to do.

Instead, this year, let’s pause and realize that sometimes the best gifts are not bought in a store. Some of the best memories we hold are simple times of being together with the people we care about or dedicating our time to someone or something that matters.

What if this year we were to set the intention to “show up” as the best person we could be? What if we were to commit ourselves to focus on “creating memories”? What if we were to find the gifts within others and draw that out in them? What if we were to spend “time” with others?

We can set an intention to become more “mindful” and be “in the moment”. Our best present and be “being present”.

1) Spend Time: Allow yourself time to spend with others. Rather than rushing in and out with a gift, spend the day, overnight or the weekend. Find new activities to do together to help expand knowing each other more.

2) Be Silly: Play games, watch movies, dress funny, wear pajamas, eat childhood favorite foods, look through old pictures. Be creative. Laughter is one of the best bonding components we have in life.

3) Focus on loving others. Too often people are worried about fitting in or troubled by things that happened in the past. “Be here now” is a concept that calls you to release what’s old and be fully aware and available to what it in the moment. Let life unfold in new and unpredictable ways.

4) Get interested in others: What do they like to do. What brings them joy. Find their passion and inquire about it or even participate in it. Go to the painting class, go bowling, learn about fishing, watch the sports game. Allow yourself to step into the world of another as your gift to them.

5) Be your best self: Step out of your own patterns and challenge yourself to bring your absolute best in spirit to others this holiday. Say the kind things that you usually hold back.

6) Release expectations: “People do people things” meaning that expectations only set us up for disappointment. Allow others to be who they are with all their faults without imposing our “shoulds / shouldn’ts” upon them.

7) Honor yourself: Your boundaries and your intuition are a gift to yourself. While you offer the best to others, you also offer the best to yourself. Discover the people and activities that fill your spirit this season and engage in as much of that as possible.

8) Adjust our attitude: We alter our own experience by our attitude, positive or negative. While we can’t live with our head in the clouds, we can shift our attention and attitude to find the best for ourselves and others in all situations.

9) Random Acts of Kindness: Make a contribution to a cause or wake up and ask yourself “who can I surprise today”. Anonymously dropping off a card, flower or gift can be great fun for all.

10) Spiritual Matters: This season is about going deeper in our spirits to be more kind, giving, loving and operating on the ‘higher ground’. Call yourself to live by your spiritual principles in order to bring out the best in yourself and others.

This year, slow down and enjoy this holiday season. Be present. Be unique. Be you and love others.

This is the greatest gift we all can bring to those we know as well as the country and the world. If we ever needed a deeper love, now is the time.